


Among Wolves

by Jastra



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Child Abuse, Child Armin Arlert, Child Eren Yeager, Child Mikasa Ackerman, Dark Levi, Emotional Manipulation, Kidnapping, Levi wants to own young Eren, M/M, Manipulative Levi, Obsession, Possessive Levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-03-31 15:06:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3982588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jastra/pseuds/Jastra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day at the market, Eren, Mikasa and Armin run into the captain of the Survey Corps, Levi, who shows unusual interest in Dr. Yeager's son. Later that night, three men break into Eren's home and kill his parents just to get him. Levi was going to get his pet and keep him safe in the cruel world.</p><p>Mikasa vows to get her friend back but Levi is not going to give up Eren easily.</p><p>Rating may change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Wolf

  
People in the Shiganshina district turned to look when 3 young kids dashed through the busy streets and alleyways as they made their way towards the marketplace. Eren was leading the three of them with Mikasa and Armin barely keeping up with him. It was a busy day and night for this part of the city since merchants from farther parts of walled lands came to sell their products there. This time around the military police also made their appearance in there and Eren was thrilled to see them, even if the Survey Corps were much cooler in his opinion.

"Eren slow down!!" Mikasa yelled in slightly annoyed tone, but the willful young boy barely heard her words or just chose to ignore them.  Eren's mother had sent the three of them to get groceries and few special items with a bit of extra to spend on themselves if they wanted to get few treats from the stands. Few passing people dodged Eren just in time since the young boy barely paid any attention to his surroundings. One older woman was so startled by the green eyed little bolt that she dropped few fresh apples from her basket, yelping slightly in quite amusing manner.

"Excuse me, madam." Mikasa said politely but didn't stop since she feared that Eren would get in trouble if she lost the sight of him.  Armin, who kept the rear blushed in embarrassment and stopped for a moment to help the old lady and apologize for his friend's behavior.

The Ackerman girl frowned angrily, Eren was going to get himself killed. What if he ran under a horse or a wagon? Yeager always spoke about slaying titans but at this rate he'd not get past his twelfth birthday. Finally the headstrong boy stopped, but only for a moment. He  turned around to wave his hand and yell at Armin.

"Come on you slowpoke! At this rate you'll never see any soldiers!." The green eyed boy laughed happily, grinning before turning around to dash ahead once more. He made a sharp turn to the dark cobble stonen alleyway that descended towards their destination only to hit something solid and fall onto the ground.

 Mikasa gasped in worry when her friend took the turn to the alley way and disappeared from her sight and the loud crash and a surprised yell that belonged to Eren made her hasten her step.  Ackerman gasped when she made the turn to the alley way and saw a man towering over Eren who had apparently run directly into him.

"Are you ok? Your nose is bleeding!" The pale girl gasped and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, handing it to Eren who wiped his face clean from the small trail of blood.

"I'm ok, Mikasa." Eren grumbled in frustration, frowning before looking up at the short man he had crashed into. 

"Look where you are going!" He yelled angrily only to go slightly pale when he recognized the man to be from Survey Corps,  the cloak with the winged insignia was a clear sign. Mikasa who also had noted the cloak studied the short man in front of them. He was in his uniform but wasn't wearing a 3d maneuver gear nor weaponry.

The short black haired man was staring at Eren with those cold grey eyes, his expression completely blank.

Armin too finally made it to the scene, looking horrified to see a dangerous looking soldier standing there with Eren on the ground with bloody nose.

  
"Are you alright?" the blond boy asked carefully, before looking at Levi who was still staring at them, clearly waiting for an apology. Armin wanted to cringe when he saw that the man's uniform's trousers had a bloody spot where Eren had hit him with full force.  
"I..I'm so sorry! My friend here is just so reckless! We apologize for this." Armin started babbling, trying to get them out of possible trouble; he had been doing way too much apologizing today for Eren's misbehavings.  
Ackerman felt alarmed for some reason. The soldier was still staring at Eren and she saw that the boy was staring back at him still slightly angered, his eyes burning with determination, not wanting to back away even if he was facing a soldier from Survey Corps. Those cold grey eyes kept studying Eren, looking him up and down.

"Are you ok, Eren?" Levi finally asked quite gently, kneeling down to be on same level as the child, looking directly into his eyes "You've grown quite a lot." He clearly seemed to know Eren but the young boy couldn't remember him. He could perhaps be a soldier his father had treated while tagging along for one of his trips.

"Y..yeah." The boy murmured and glanced away, now slightly embarrassed. Suddenly Mikasa was in front of him. She was very protective of him and was now staring daggers at the short man.

"Stand back, I've never seen you before. How do you know Eren?" She demanded. Sure they had been loud as hell while running but he couldn't be sure.

  
Eren looked at Mikasa and blushed, knowing that the girl probably had a crush on him. He often times felt happy that she stood up for him and showed affection but now it felt embarrassing.

"M..Mikasa calm down! Surely he knows me through my father." Eren tried to calm the protective girl down.

  
Armin nodded slightly to reassure the dark haired girl and to calm the situation down, but he too was now staring the man he had not seen before, worrying for his friend. Grisha was hardly the only doctor in the city but he was more well known for his work with the plague few years back. Eren was known in the district to be his son but outside not many knew this fact.

  
The black haired man cocked his head slightly to the side as he eyed the trio. "Yes, Dr. Yeager has done a lot for this city." The man replied, ignoring Mikasa and Armin and focusing on Eren. "Hope you didn't yourself too badly, Yeager..I'd hate to have you injured.." He said in a calm tone, staring deeply into Eren's large emerald eyes. He looked absolutely adorable with a slightly confused look in his eyes.

"I'm ok.." Eren murmured, still slightly angry and embarrassed. When the nose bleed finally started to cease he took the piece of cloth, eyeing it with slight disgust before pocketing it. The man in front of them was clearly amused since his eyes seemed to gleam slightly.

  
"That's good to heard, Eren...now run along, I'm sure we'll meet again." the short man said before placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Eren blushed slightly when he felt the warm hand of the soldier on is his shoulder. Mikasa was seething in anger and glaring daggers at the adult man who slowly stood up and walked was them, leaving the three behind him.

"What a creep..." Mikasa hissed while the man could still hear them, wanting him to know her opinion.

"Mikasa, calm down..." The green eyed boy murmured, a bit confused about the whole ordeal. "He was from Survey Corps. That's so awesome!"

"You should be more careful Eren..you always invite trouble!" Armin scolded him "And you trust people too easily!". He was always getting in fights and chided by guards like Hannes. Eren was the type who'd stand up against bullies and in return get beaten up by those who were stronger than him. He was an idealist and his strong personality and opinions attracted all kinds of people. Mikasa feared that one day he'd find himself in a trouble that he couldn't get out of.

"He clearly was a soldier, I'm sure he was ok, not some creep out to get me." Eren laughed playfully but shut up when he got angry glances from his friends. The three kept arguing the whole way to the market, walking now and avoiding people.

  
Levi watched Eren from shadows for a while, following the young emerald eyed boy. The short man let out a small sigh when the damn girl stopped and turned around to see if he was still around. Thankfully she couldn't see him standing among the crowds.  
Levi  watched how Eren argued with some blond soldier who was slightly tipsy, clearly telling him for doing lousy job. It was really a shame about the kid's father. Grisha was a good man and the city would dearly miss him. But he and his wife were too dangerous to let go alive..

* * *

 

Night had fallen over the district and Carla was preparing the house for the night while Grisha was still writing in the candle light. Their son was whittling a small wooden animal from a piece of wood with a sharp knife even though his mother had told him to go to bed multiple times. He was clearly too focused on his project and her commands had gone to deaf ears.

"what are you making, Eren?" His mother asked as he dried one plate with a piece of cloth and when the only answer she got was a small "mhmm..." she smiled slightly. The young boy was completely lost in his work to get the  wood to resembled a bear or a cat perhaps. Woodworking clearly wasn't Eren's strong suite.

"Is it a present for Mikasa?" She asked. That got a reaction from his son who almost cut himself into finger. He blushed hard and looked at his mother "No! Its just something." he said and glanced away. Carla giggled gently and walked over to Eren, patting her son a bit before turning slightly more serious.

"Mikasa said that you got a bloody nose today...were you fighting with the other kids again, Eren?" she asked with slightly scolding tone, but her son just shook his head defiantly. "No! Not this time at least..I ran into a soldier from Survey Corps,I think. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Carla's expression softened "You always seem to attract trouble. You are almost a legend among the soldiers...telling them how to do their work. I fear you soon have to choose that career path, else you'll become a laughing stock for the whole garrison.."

"Yeah, I can't wait to get the guards to do their jobs.." he said to his mother's amusement only to hesitate for a moment. "He seemed to know me...but I didn't recognize him." Eren murmured but he couldn't get the man's expression from his mind. The dark look in those grey eyes still haunted him. Not to mention the touch.

" What did he look like? " Grisha suddenly asked, turning his head at Eren who looked surprised.

"Short..black hair, grey eyes." Eren murmured. His father was about to say something when someone suddenly knocked at the door. Carla looked slightly alarmed, but late night visitors weren't uncommon. The help of the doctor was always needed.  
Eren felt odd and held the dagger in his hand, unsurely glancing at his mother who once more turned to the sink to clean few remaining plates.

"Perhaps it is the Felds, their child has been unwell for a while now." Grisha pondered out loud as he got up and walked to the door, slowly opening it. Behind the door stood three men, men that he had never met before. Just as the doctor was about to greet them, he heard a soft sound, a sound of blade sinking into flesh and it took a moment from him to realize that he had a blade stuck in his stomach. The men had cold, remorseless look in their eyes and before he had time to yell for his wife to run, the man yanked the blade upwards, tearing his insides before pulling it out and slashing his throat open so that he couldn't make any sounds.

  
Eren, who was sitting on the firewood box stared the sight with large eyes, his mouth gaping slightly. He had just watched three men kill his father. Everything moved in slow motion. Carla had not realized yet what was going on and only started turning when she heard a loud "thud" behind her; the sound of his husband's body hitting the wooden floor. The men came in, spreading slightly to make sure the two remaining people had nowhere to run.

"D..dad!" Eren whispered, standing up and rushing to protect his mother from the men. "Mother, run!" he yelled even though he knew there was no where they could go.

Carla was in shock, unable to realize that her husband was dead. The only thing that mattered to her now was that she'd get Eren to safety. She immediately saw that the men were looking at him. This wasn't a robbery, no, they were after Eren.

 _'They..they want my son...I can't let them have Eren!'_  she thought in panic. 

"That's the kid.." One of the three said and the other one scoffed "Doesn't look like much."

"Eren..get out through the upper floor's window, go! Get the guards!" Carla yelled, willing to sacrifice herself in order to save her little darling. The dark haired young man tried to reach for his mother to stop her but all he could do was watch in horror as Carla dashed at the intruders, trying to hold them off and let her son have a chance to escape, but Eren had no intentions of running away. He wasn't going to lose his other parent too! He tightened his grip on the knife and was about to dash at the man, but before he could, the man who was target of Carla's attack grabbed her hair and slashed her throat open to silence her too.

Eren was paralyzed. There was blood everywhere and the men looked more annoyed than anything else. They had seen blood before, they were used to this. They were all animals.

"Hurry, that bitch made a lot of noise, just grab the kid and lets go!" One man said and started to approach Eren who they thought to be in utter shock, unable to do anything.  
Two men stayed guarding the house while the third one walked over to Eren. "Come one kid, lets get you to your new owner." the man grumbled, reaching out to grab Eren only to have the small boy yell in pure rage and stab him into heart with the short knife.

"You fucking animals! Die!" The enraged child yelled yanking the knife out only to to strike it into the man's heart over and over again until his hands were covered in blood, some of it splattering onto his face. His eyed burned with fire, wanting to put these animals out of their miserable existence. 

"What the fuck!?" The one man yelled, when the kid started stabbing his friend who soon lied dead on the ground while the green eyed little demon kept stabbing him. The two dashed at him and the adrenaline filled child tried to slash at them too, but his hands were grabbed and before he knew it, something hard hit him into head and he fell unconscious with a blood streaming down his head.

"Shit..did you kill him!?" The man asked in horror, knowing what would happen if they killed their target but the other man shook his head. "No, he will be ok..." he muttered and glanced at the corpse on the floor. It was a horrifying sight.

"just lets go before the guards show up!" The other killer grumbled, not getting over the shock of losing his friend.

* * *

  
Mikasa and Armin were rushing towards their friend's home. Even though it was early hours in the morning people were making their way towards the crime scene in masses. The two children were on the verge of tears as they made their way through the thick crowd and forced their way into the house past Hannes who tried to grab them and shield their eyes from the brutal sight. Cloth had been pulled over the three corpses, but there was blood every where and from their forms and clothes, Armin and Mikasa could tell that Eren's parents had been killed along with third man.

The blond boy broke into tears and started sobbing. The Ackerman girl however just stared the sight and though she held her composure, tears started rolling down her face. She felt hate, rage, fear but also hope. Eren who was no where to be seen and he could still be alive..

"Damn it, Arlert, Ackerman!" Hannes yelled and grabbed the two young children pulling them outside and closing the door so that the curious crowd couldn't see what was going inside. The military police had been called to the crime scene and had arrived only moments ago.

"Where is Eren?! Is he dead too? Tell me!" Mikasa demanded and the unsure look on Hannes' face made her clench her fists.

"We don't know where he is.." the blond man admitted...he was reeking of alcohol..

"Disgusting." Mikasa said quietly...all the guards had probably been drunk or too lazy to react to ruckus coming from the house. Hannes yelped when the determined young girl grabbed his uniform's collar and looked him into eyes.

"You better find him."

* * *

  
Eren's head was throbbing in pain and he felt like he was going to throw up as he slowly came to. Everything was blurry and his body felt numb. He couldn't move. From what he could tell, he was alone in a small abandoned cabin. He heard voices from outside the cabin, but they were too far away to be heard and he slowly drifted back to unconsciousness only to be dragged back from the verge of oblivion.

Someone  in the distance said something in a voice that belonged to one of the murderers, but he couldn't make out the words.. Eren tried to struggle as the feeling slowly returned to him but he felt like there was rope around his legs and hands.

Outside the cabin a short black haired man was talking with the two remaining men with disinterested look in his grey eyes.

"We demand a bonus! That little shit killed our friend!" One of the kidnappers snapped angrily. They wanted some compensation for losing their friend.

"It isn't really my problem if you were careless enough to be killed by a child." Levi replied in a a soft yet cold voice. 

"But.." the killer protested only to be ignored, it almost looked like the man who was holding two blades in his hands didn't even bother to acknowledge the two. 

"And you injured him too. I'm sure you remember our agreement. " The short man muttered dangerously quietly and the two men got the clue.

"Well...pay up then, we got you your fuck toy so our part of the agreement is done." the human traffickers muttered, expecting to be paid.

Levi's expressionless face was unnerving to the men and they had no idea what he was thinking.

"Haa...useless." Levi muttered, moving like a bolt, cutting the two men down to make sure they would never speak of this to anyone. The two men had a permanent shocked look on their faces. Few sharp and precise slashes cut the two men down, their bodies hitting the grass ground with a heavy thuds. The grey eyed man sighed gently at the sight before him, those two were the last people who could be dangerous to him. Erwin wouldn't care and Eren's parents were gone too. Nothing could keep the young boy safe from him now.

 

Eren's eye sight slowly started to focus but it wasn't much of a help in the dark wooden house with only moonlight shining through a small window.. Fear gripped his heart when the realization of what had happened to him fully hit him. It was almost too much for a the young boy to understand. One thing he was sure about though...he had heard some people argue..and now they were silent. He had heard metal hit metal and flesh hit ground or at least he thought it was something like that. A door opened nearby and he felt fear grip his heart. Was he going to be killed? Why else would he be here, gagged and bound.

When the wooden door opened with a soft creak and he saw a silhouette of a short man standing there, looking at him with blades in his hands. His breathing started to become panicked when he heard the person's heavy boot steps echo against the wooden floor. He walked at a leisure pace, finally stopping next to Eren, the blades almost touching his body.

"Oh, you came to? Good." The man said, his tone soft and gentle while eyeing Eren's bindings. The two kidnappers had wanted to make sure that the little demon wouldn't be able to get out and cause more damage to them. Eren trembled as he stared at the short man when he finally started to see better; it was the man from the market.

 _'You...'_   Eren thought, his heart was pounding against his chest and the headache was only getting worse. The short and agile looked man knelt down to pet Eren's bleeding head gently before removing his prey's cloth gag, but that made the child try to yank away from the man's touch in fear, but he was too weak to do it. "Don't touch me! Get away!" He yelled in panic, not trusting the man.

Levi didn't pull his hand back. "It's ok..I'm with the Survey Corp, surely you remember me, Eren. I came to help you. I've been tracking your kidnappers the whole night in order to get you out safely." the man murmured, and Eren noticed the blood on his blades. The young kid went pale and his eyes started to go moist.

"Those men..th..they killed my..." He started but Levi just hushed him quiet as he cut his bindings open.

"I killed those animals, Eren, they can't hurt you anymore. " Levi told him kindly, wanting the green eyed boy to calm down.

 The child finally started to calm down slightly now that he knew that Levi wasn't going to kill him.

"I saw you at the marketplace." Eren murmured, hating the soothing touch the man gave him. He could never tell how old people were but from the looks of it, this man was probably around his thirties. The lines around his eyes gave away his age even though he looked young.

The man stared into his green eyes with his own grey ones and he couldn't wait to have them look at him with adoration and love.

Eren then realized that his hands were covered in dried blood when the short man cut the ropes with a sharp knife. Levi felt satisfied and  as Eren started to tremble as he started to think of his father and mother who had been brutally murdered.  
Despite being a tough child, even Eren couldn't endure everything. His family was dead and he had nowhere to go. The city was a cruel place to a child and he'd find himself in hell.

"Calm down.." Levi murmured as he pulled the Yeager boy against his body. The emerald eyed boy was starting to hyperventilate and grasped Levi's unform slightly and that only made Levi put his arms around Eren, pressing him tightly against himself, keeping him from fighting and trying to calm him down..

"Its ok, Eren. I won't hurt you.." Levi said calmly before kissing the boy's brow as the child pressed his face against the man's shoulder, weeping gently. "I'll take care of you, you don't have to worry about anything."

He petted Eren's dark hair gently before pulling back from slightly so that the child faced him, his hands firmly holding Yeager's small arms. 

"I'm Levi, captain of the Survey Corps, it is nice to meet you."


	2. The pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is introduced to Hange and Erwin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm looking for a beta reader. I'm not sure where to look so if anyone of you is interested in becoming one, contact me :) I could really use the help since English is a bit challenging for me.  
> EDIT: Didn't realize you can't send private messages here. https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1305219/Zasztra

Levi closed his eyes and felt content as he held Eren against his lean body. The green eyed boy felt warm and his natural scent mixed with that of blood was intoxicating to the captain whose swords were coated in the dark red liquid. He had waited so long for this moment and now that he finally had Eren at his grasps, Levi knew that nothing could ruin this moment.

They stayed still for good while as Eren slowly calmed down, finally understanding that his life wasn't threatened anymore. His small body had stopped trembling and tears had stopped, even if his eyes would remain puffy for a while.. The captain's long fingers raked through the boy's silky soft hair before feeling his forehead that felt quite hot. There was blood on the kid's face, but it was all dry now. Levi was quite a clean freak, but he didn't mind seeing Eren covered in blood. The boy was dirty and his clothes were pretty much ruined. He'd need a proper bath once they were out of there.

Eren's eyes were hazy as he looked into Levi's cold grey ones that stared at him and for a brief moment he felt like the danger wasn't over yet. There was something dark and scary in the captain's gaze, but he didn't know what it was.

"Lets get you out of here." Levi murmured gently before firmly taking Eren's hand and starting to lead him towards the door. The moldy wooden floor creaked underneath their steps and gave the whole place an ominous feeling to it. Eren let his gaze fall to the dust covered floor, wondering where he could go now. There wasn't really a home for him to return to, but the people in the district were kind and he missed Armin and Mikasa.

"Will you take me back to my home? I want to see Mikasa and Armin even if...my parents are no longer there." The dark haired boy asked, still unable to wrap his head around the idea of his parents no being alive. One moment he was living happily with them, the next they are taken from him in the most brutal manner possible.

Levi turned his head slightly to see Eren's miserable expression before turning back to the door, his grey eyes having a dark and obsessed look in them.

"No, I'll be taking you somewhere safe for now. I'll explain the situation when I'm sure no one can get to you." The dark haired short man said soothingly, pulling Eren towards the exit a bit more forcefully now.

Only now did Eren realize that he wasn't only armed, the captain was wearing the 3d maneuver gear.  _Did he use that to get here?'_

Once outside, the kid gasped in horror when he saw the two dead men lying on the grassy ground with body parts missing.

"They are all cut up." he whispered with large startled eyes. Levi's face was expressionless as he gazed at Eren who quickly calmed down completely.

"Good..those animals got what they deserved!" He heard the young green eyed boy hiss , satisfied that his parents had been avenged on certain level. However, he missed the small smirk and dark look in Levi's eyes who was the real culprit.

Eren wiped his eyes and face a bit and looked around. It was so dark and he had no idea where they were...on the outskirts of wall Maria probably. They were in a middle of a dense forest and it didn't look familiar in anyway.

"Where..where are we?" he asked in confusion.

"Doesn't matter...hold onto me. It is going to be a rough ride for you, but try to endure. " Levi murmured as he knelt down and offered his hand to Eren once more who took it after a moment of hesitation.

"Ok...I just want to see Armin and Mikasa again." The Yeager kid muttered before wrapping his hands around Levi, to hold onto him. Eren closed his eyes as Levi took off into the air with the help of the 3d maneuver gear. The trip was long and he felt his heart beat grow faster as they speeded through the woods. He slowly lost the track of time and closed his eyes, not realizing how long they traveled.

* * *

Eren gazed around in confusion when they finally arrived at a large castle like place. It looked enormous to Eren and a kid like him could easily get lost in there. Not only was the building large, there was acres of untamed land surrounding the place since majority of the roads and paths and been reclaimed by the forest. The place itself looked abandoned. No cart or horse could easily get there, but those with 3D maneuver gear could quickly escape into the woods surrounding the place if needed.

"What is this place?" Eren asked in unsure manner "It looks abandoned."

 _'There doesn't seem to be any life here...but then again did it really matter where I'm going to stay stay?'_ he thought. The idea of getting back home felt comforting, but there would be nothing waiting for him there. It was the most painful thing knowing that his home had lost its heart, warmth and safety.

"This place is safe for us, they won't know to look for us here." The short man gave a simple reply "We'll stay here for a few days to assess the situation. Then we'll plan our next move." the captain continued as they entered the compound through one of the many doors. Eren looked around and what he saw baffled him. The yard had been unattended for what he'd think was decades. The majority of the doors and windows were barred shut, making the place looked really unwelcoming.

"This place looks forgotten." The kid noted, making Levi give him a side way glance and a small nod.

"It is to protect us." the older male murmured calmly, wanting Eren to relax a bit. The place was perfect for them. Not many knew about thus abandoned headquarters of the Survey Corps and those who knew, thought it to be lost to the forest fully. No random person would find their way here by accident and those who sought it out could easily be dealt with.

"I'll introduce you to few people. You can trust them. They helped me to find you." Levi said gently as he opened yet another door in to what looked like a dining room to Eren. The small boy was surprised to see 2 people inside who were whispering to each other.

A tall blond man with thick eyebrows and blue eyes and a person with glasses and red hair on a ponytail. What ever conversation the two had been having was interrupted when they saw Eren and Levi enter.

"Levi. We were just.." the tall man started, but trailed off when he saw Eren who was staring at the two strangers with worried and startled look in his green eyes. There was a heavy silence between all of them and Eren felt uneasy having the two strangers staring at him. "That's him then." The man finally said in a manner that made Eren wonder whether a huge load had been taken off his shoulders or one put on them. The blonde sighed and rested his head against his hand, eyeing him evaluatingly.

Eren swallowed slightly, but calmed when he felt Levi's hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"This is Eren" Levi introduced the boy to them "Eren, meet my commanding officer Erwin Smith and the person sitting across him is.." The short man started, but was cut off by the eccentric eye glassed person who jumped off the chair and rushed to Eren, kneeling down to grab the boy's hands gently.

"Ah! You are the kid who killed that man so brutally! I'm so glad we finally meet..you are such a brave boy. Oh look, you've got blood all over you." The strange person laughed with a mad look in the eyes. It made Eren nervous and he felt like this person wasn't really normal. How could someone be so happy and excited about him killing someone? The bastard had gotten what he had deserved but... "I'm Hange Zoë."

"N..nice to meet you." The mature kid muttered, wincing when the person leaned closer so that their faces almost touched.

"Don't you worry about a single thing, Captain Levi here will take care of you from now on...he.." Hange continued, but shut up when the Captain gave an annoyed glance.

"Hange, shut up." He said quietly and Eren saw that the person remembered something and got up.

"Ah sorry Levi, I forgot myself." Hange apologized with a sheepish smile before patting the traumatized kid's head, smiling "Don't worry, we aren't going to let bad people get to you again. That's a promise." Zoë said and winked playfully at the youngest member of their small group.

Eren blushed slightly in embarrassment as the strange person touched him so gently. He knew his eyes were still red and he was ashamed to have the soldiers from Survey Corps see him like this.

Erwin sighed and got up as well, walking over to Eren, who clearly had no idea who he was. The tall blond man looked into the green eyed boy's eyes before turning his gaze at the short man who stood close to the kid in a protective manner.

"Let him rest for a moment, I'd like to talk to you." The leader said to Levi who nodded slightly, taking Eren's hand leading him from the room and towards the stairs that led upstairs.

* * *

Yeager remained silent as Levi led him through a corridor. The rooms along the way looked abandoned and Eren felt cold even though it was summer. The night air was cool and the wind howled outside. The lamps shone dimly, barely lighting the place.

Levi saw that Eren had gone silent as he opened a door into a room that was quite well furnished and very clean compared to the rest of them. Someone had clearly done a lot of work to get this room livable and comfortable.

"I know it is a bit cold in here, but try to endure it, Eren. I'll get you cleaned from the blood in a moment. I need to talk about Erwin about what is our next move." Levi murmured to the Yeager kid, kneeling down to be on same level as the green eyed boy.

"You trust me, don't you Eren?" Levi asked in an expressionless tone. Yeager nodded slightly, making the captain gently brush his long fingers against his cheek. "Good, now, stay here for a moment. I'll be back shortly. Then we'll get you clean and light the fireplace to get this place some warmth."

Eren remained silent for a moment as Levi caressed his cheek.

"I'd rather go home. My friends must be worried sick already." he finally said quietly, making Levi sigh loudly, his eyes flashing slightly with anger but it went unnoticed by Eren who was lost in his thoughts.

"It isn't that simple...there are still wolves in the city." the cunning captain said and pulled his hand away. Eren looked a bit confused, not sure what to think.

"Wolves?" He asked, not quite understanding.

"Yes, we've deal with the ones that killed your parents, but there are still many wolves out there in the city ready to move against you. It isn't safe for you there."  
Levi couldn't' help but smile when Eren's eyes went large with fear.

"There are a lot of bad people who want their hands on you and before we can deal with them, it simple isn't safe for you there." Levi continued. "You are very brave young man. I know you must be devastated right now, but I need you to be patient and follow my orders." the captain apologized, but the mature child nodded.

"I understand..." he said unhappily, making Levi's eyes gleam slightly.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." the short man said before getting up and leaving the room.

Eren was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the door locking behind him.

Once let alone in the dimly lit room, the young boy wrapped his arms around his body and shivered. Only now he realized how cold it was. He couldn't wrap his mind around what had happened. Only hours ago he had witnessed his father and mother's murder and had been taken by human traffickers, who would have wanted to done this to him?!

 _'What did I do to cause all this..'_  he thought 'What could someone want with me?'

This was all his fault and if it wasn't for Captain Levi, who knows where he'd be now. He didn't want to think about it. Armin and Mikasa had to be worried sick. Eren felt his eyes get wet again and he wiped them in frustration. He was a man and shouldn't be crying like this. It was a small hope and comfort, but even if his parents were gone, he'd still have Armin and Mikasa. He'd survive and keep fighting no matter what.

Yes...give up and die...fight and live. He'd fight to get and keep his life and get revenge on those who did this.

"I'll kill them all..I'll kill all the titans and wolves out there." Eren vowed quietly, wanting to end the life of everyone who would dare hurt him and his friends' lives.

* * *

"Haah, he is so cute, I can see why you got your eyes on him, Levi." Hange said with dreamy eyes "I wouldn't mind taking care of him myself."

The short man's only reply to Hange was a scoff as he sat down on the wooden chair before glancing at Erwin with cold and calculating look in his eyes.

"Are you going to have a problem with this?" Levi questioned the leader of the Survey corps, but the blonde just shook his head.

"None, just be careful, Levi. That kid can't be tamed even you can see it in his eyes. He might be vulnerable now, but eventually he'll turn against you if you aren't careful." Erwin said as he sipped his hot steaming coffee.

Levi glanced at the window, the moon was shining its cold light upon the large castle like compound. The three of them had stayed up all night, preparing and making sure no trails would be left in the woods.

"Eren will adapt..he is strong, stronger than any person I know. I'll take care of him. He'll have no other place to go." Levi said quite affectionately with a dark intense look in his grey eyes. The atmosphere in the room was tense. They all knew what kind of an animal Levi was and they were ok with it. The three of them all had darker side that they accepted. This place was their haven.

Erwin stood up and headed for the door. "Just be careful with him, or you'll find him stabbing you to death one day. I'd like to talk to him when I get back. The garrison wants my report on the search. "

The other two nodded slightly at Erwin. Perhaps the people in charge of the search for Eren would eventually find the the cabin in the woods but there wouldn't be any evidence to be found. The carnivores in the woods would feast on the remains of the two dead men with nothing linking them to Levi's blades.

Once Erwin was gone, Hange grabbed the kettle with coffee inside and poured Levi a cup, pushing it across the table to the short man.

"Killing his parents was cold, Levi." Hange said and leaned against the back seat, tipping the chair a bit as Levi picked up the cup and sipped the hot and bitter drink. The eye glassed person smirked a bit "You really do only want him to have eyes for you..what about his friends? You can't just erase his existence from the world so easily. "

Levi ignored his friend and closed his eyes for a moment, the lines around his eyes showing more now that he was tired. The coffee didn't really do anything for him at this state.

"That kid is strong, mature. But he is still a kid." Hange muttered as Levi finished his coffee and placed the cup on the small plate with a soft "clink". He didn't want to have Eren be alone too long. The short black haired man grabbed a cup of tea for Eren who had to be feeling cold and hungry by now.

"He'll love me, and then those things aren't a problem anymore."

Zoë laughed softly and adjusted the glasses slightly. "Give it a few years and he'll be a proper member of our small pack of wolves."

* * *

_Levi watched as Erwin and the long haired Doctor discussed the new batch of soldiers near the barracks a good distance away from the city in the country side, near the large woods. It was a training ground for the Survey corps and other guards. It was common for the doctors to come and do a routine check up for the new members of the Survey Corps and tend to wounds caused during training._

_The short man in his late twenties saw Hange approach him and greeted the eye-glassed person with a small nod._

_"Seems like almost everyone can join the next expedition." Zoë laughed and glanced at the doctor before sighing playfully, "Though I have a feeling that the good doctor over there will have to see majority again when we get back.. with all the torn limbs and other wounds to tend to. Isn't that just deviant? Almost feels like he is giving them a pass to try and get themselves killed." the red haired person said but Levi just gave Hange a long displeased look._

_"They knew what they signed up for. " The captain replied coldly, making Hange just smile darkly. It was known fact that a good amount of soldiers perished during the expeditions._

_"Hmmh..the doctor's son would make a nice addition to our corps, just look at him, listening to Oluo's stories like he is a master at killing titans." Hange muttered and turned Levi's head forcefully so that he had to look at the Yeager's son._

_That was the first time Levi saw Eren._

_That fool Oluo was talking to kid, acting all high and mighty as usual and telling him some story while other members of the corps stood nearby, laughing and clearly amused by the spirited child who was holding a long stick, acting as if it was a sword._

_Levi stared the small child for a moment with Hange._

_"Have you killed a lot of titans?" Eren asked from Oluo who seemed to enjoy the admiration. Sure, curious children asked those questions from the members of the survey corps all the time, but something about this one was different._

_"Hundreds" Oluo replied._

_'Well that is a lie if anything' Levi thought with blank expression, only to shift his gaze at the brat whose reaction made him stare at him all mesmerized._

_"Good...I want you to kill them all. Once I'm old and strong enough...I'll kill them too and set humanity free.." the kid hissed with determination burning in his eyes. He wasn't like the other brats who just played being a soldier and tried get into Military Police, he truly wanted to kill every last titan in the world._

_"That kid sure is something.'" Hange snickered slightly, adjusting the eye glasses a bit while Levi just stared at Eren._

_Just as Levi was about to answer to his friend, the eye glassed doctor shook hands with Erwin as a farewell and turned to his son._

_"Eren, lets go!" the Dr.Yeager yelled at his son._

_Before Levi had a chance to do anything, Eren had left them, dashing towards his father._

* * *

Levi's hand was in the pocket of his uniform, touching the key to Eren's room while staring at the door. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down before pulling out the key and looked at it.

He'd make Eren happy and in return he'd make him happy. Eren was a treasure in this cruel world, having a powerful will and thirst for life. He'd cling to it and fight...he'd never leave him. He'd make a nice addition to his, Erwin's and Hange's pack..he was among wolves now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi decides to give Eren a bath and clean him from all the blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chap up! Thanks to Scinon who beta read this chapter and really helping to polish it!

Levi sighed as he pushed the slightly tarnished key into the lock; turning the small, metal object gently to hear a satisfying, unlocking sound. The dark haired captain held a steaming hot coffee cup in his other hand as he opened the heavy door, that couldn't easily be forced open, before stepping inside.

The soles of his shoes echoed softly against the wooden floor as he slowly moved towards Eren so as not to startle him.

"I'm sorry this took so long, Eren. Erwin wanted to know all the details about the incident." The short male lied in apologizing manner only to see his little prisoner at the window, trying to push and pry it open. Levi froze and focused on the sight before him, resisting the urge to drop the cup and dash at Eren to grab him. Was his love already trying to escape from him? Would he really have to tie him up?

"Eren... What are you doing..." Levi asked a bit coldly, his eyes teeming with dark thoughts even though he tried to remain calm and sound neutral. He had watched Eren for years and now that he had him, he wouldn't let the the strong-willed boy slip through his fingers.

The kid was startled and turned to Levi, eyes wide with sudden fear when he saw the uniformed man approach him in a somewhat threatening manner. But much to Levi's surprise, Eren quickly seemed to calm down when he remembered that he was only trying to help him.

The kid looked embarrassed and let his gaze fall to the floor. "Sorry... I just wanted to have some fresh air, that's all." Eren said before adding. "I can't breath in here and..." He hesitated, "I don't want to be trapped."

For a moment, Levi looked surprised. Hearing that Eren didn't like not having escape routes was understandable though, after what he had endured. Too bad he had no intentions of letting the boy have them. With a small sigh, the short man placed the cup on the nearby night table before kneeling down to be on same level as Eren. His expression was slightly softer now, the lines showing around his eyes and Eren wasn't quite sure whether it was due to lack of sleep or because of his age. Probably both.

"These won't open. You need to unlock them from both the inside and the outside." Levi explained, making Eren frown.

"That seems impractical." The young kid pointed out, making Levi scoff lightly, remembering how the place had been used for interrogation and torture in older times.

"This place was built in different times. Now... sit down on the bed and drink this. It should warm you up a bit." Levi replied, guiding Eren onto the bed before handing him the cup of coffee.

"Have you ever had coffee before, Eren?" Levi asked Eren, who was nursing the coffee cup with his cold hands that were soaked in blood, leaving dark marks on the porcelain cup that was old and had a small amount of scratches on it. The captain sat down on the bed next to Yeager so that their bodies almost touched. Even though he was not a particularly tall man, Levi still towered over Eren with his lean and toned body.

"Dad would drink it... but I found it too bitter." Eren murmured before yawning a bit, eyeing the dark drink with sleepy, green eyes.

"It'll help you stay awake for a while longer. We need to get you clean before you can get some sleep." The captain said simply, watching as Eren nodded and sipped the drink, sneering a bit once he tasted the bitter drink. However, when he saw Levi's look of slight amusement, he quickly drank it, not wanting to look like a wuss.

"I'd like it better with milk..." Eren muttered slightly embarrassed when he finished the cup, handing it to the short, dark-haired man who ruffled his hair a bit. Coffee was expensive and a luxury item in the city and he felt honored that Levi had offered it to him... even if he didn't know how to appreciate the taste.

"You'll get used to it." Levi replied before taking Eren's hand and getting him off the bed, leading him to the corridor. "Let's get you cleaned up, Eren. I don't want you covered in the blood of the person who killed your mother." Choosing his words wisely in order to remind Eren of what had happened, feeling satisfied when the kid's gaze dropped to the ground. The captain noted that he was slightly biting his lower lip too.

As they strolled through the corridors and towards the washrooms, Levi noticed that Eren was clearly lost in his thoughts, not paying any attention to where the older was leading him. And so, the young boy soon found himself in a dark washroom which contained a wooden bathtub filled with clean water.

"Hmmh, looks like Hange prepared this in advance." Levi muttered as he walked over to a bunch of shelves, grabbing a towel and a bar of soap for Eren who was trying the water with his hand. It was cool but not uncomfortably so. Had it been daytime still, it would have been warm but the night breeze made the liquid cooler.

Levi stood there, waiting for Eren to shed his clothes, only scoffing in annoyance when the green eyed boy blushed and hesitated. Sure, he had been naked with Armin and his father but Levi was a stranger and this was quite a private situation.

"Tsk." Levi let out and glanced at the wall "You've suffered a bad strike to the head, I'd rather not leave you alone." The captain explained, making Eren nod a bit. "if you want to join the army when you get older, better get used to this."

"Yeah, okay." He muttered and pulled off his bloody shirt before taking off his pants, which also had blood splattered on them. Levi quickly grabbed the clothes from the stone floor and threw them into a small bucket of soap water to soak for a good while. The thing about human blood was that it didn't evaporate like the titan blood did. It was a pain to remove.

"H...hey, I don't have any other clothes!" Eren exclaimed in surprise, feeling ashamed while naked in front of the fully-clothed and high-ranked man.

Levi merely shook his head. "You'll get them back once they are clean, till then you can wear something I have. Naturally, they are too big but you'll manage. Hange will get you something more fitting." Levi explained before cocking his head a bit. "Now get into the tub before I throw you in there. I don't want you walking around covered in blood any longer."

"Yes, sir." Eren said quickly and got into the tub of water, shivering slightly as his body slowly got used to the cool water.

After enduring the dip into the cold water, the green eyed kid splashed the water onto his face to wash the blood off. The soap water stung his eyes, although not badly. A little soap water was nothing compared to the wounds he had endured in his body and soul. Eren looked at his reflection in the water and let his facae drop for a moment since the captain wasn't there. His gaze was empty and he felt anxious, like there was a lump of tar in his chest that suffocated him. However, when he heard Levi get something from the cabinets and return, Eren regained his stoic expression. The captain's soft footsteps sounded oddly comforting, making him think that nothing worse could happen anymore.

Eren's teeth clattered slightly against each other and he felt himself getting goose bumps. The water wasn't so bad anymore but the air felt colder in return.

"C-cold." He muttered, making Levi smirk as he walked towards him with a white shirt in his left hand. The young boy's hair was still all bloody and he suddenly felt Levi stand behind him. His hand grabbed the kid's head, pushing him underneath the surface of the water for a few seconds before allowing him back up.  
"Wh...What the hell are you trying to do?! Murder me?" The bad-tempered, little devil demanded, coughing a bit as he had been taken by surprise; yet was shut up by the annoyed stare of the renowned titan killer.

"Oi, I want all the blood off... Unlike titan blood, human blood sticks to you and is disgusting." Levi pointed out and from the tone of his voice, it felt like he was used to human blood too, and had seen a fair share of it. Eren couldn't help but wonder how many friends and comrades the captain had seen the titans eat.

The kid blushed slightly when Levi touched his head gently, massaging his scalp in a comforting manner to spread the soap and feel the bump he had from the strike earlier.

'Incompetent idiots...' The raven-haired captain thought, glad that he had cut up the fools who had dared hurt Eren.

"Hand me the soap." Levi commanded and Eren nodded, searching the water for the bar, dropping it once before even managing to hand it over to the captain, who started scrubbing his hair and back with it.

"Filthy..." Levi muttered grabbing Eren's shoulder roughly to keep him from squirming. The young boy's flesh was soft, even though he had some muscle for his age from manual labor and athletics.

They kept silent for a moment as Levi washed the boy's body clean, giving Eren time to think through what had happened to him.

"Captain..." Eren started.

"You can call me Levi, Eren." the dark-haired man said, wishing for his little pet to be comfortable with him.

The boy nodded slightly and hesitated before asking in a quiet voice.

"Those men killed my parents to get me... didn't they?" he asked, making Levi stop. He admired the kid's back and ran his finger across it, brushing his hand against a single bruise, making Eren shift in discomfort.

"Yes, you are right, Eren. You were their target." Levi confirmed his suspicions, making the brunet boy feel even more miserable.

"Why? What have I done to cause this? What would someone want with me?" Eren asked desperately, unable to wrap his head around the situation. "Why would someone hate me so much?"

Levi's expression was unreadable as he poured water on Eren's head to wash the soap away, leaving the boy clean before placing his hand on Eren's shoulder to comfort him.

"Not necessarily hate." Levi explained, his voice dangerously quiet. "You are known throughout the district for you opinions and temper, Eren. You have qualities that could attract all kinds people. It should not come as a surprise that you caught someone's eye. Someone with power and money to get whatever he wants." He continued.

Eren blinked in confusion before fully realizing that it was all his fault. He was in such shock that he didn't even notice the mildly malicious tone Levi had. THe captain's eyes were half-lidded and he leaned closer to whisper against his captive's ear.

"You are so cute, strong and passionate, Eren... These are a dangerous traits in a kid like you." The man murmured, knowing very well it was those qualities in Eren that had drawn him.

"They killed mother and father just to own me?" Eren asked in horror, his eyes wide. "It is all my fault. If I had... If I had not..."

Levi's grey eyes had a hollow look in them yet he was smiling ever so slightly since Eren couldn't see his face. The short man felt the kid's neck and chest gently with his hand before brushing his wet hair lightly.

"I guess it is, you'll have to endure it and live with it. Learn from it. You have to be strong." Levi stated coldly. It would be hard for Eren, but had to be done.

Eren looked truly miserable but that only made Levi more content. He'd take care of him, comfort Eren to get him to lower his guard and let him in. Surely, he wouldn't want to leave him then. If he tried, well, he'd just have to tie him down or throw him into the cells until he learned his lesson. And if someone tried to take him, he'd make sure they regretted it.

When the captain was satisfied with his work, he grabbed a huge bucket of cold water, pouring it all over Eren's head to wash the rest of the soap off.

Eren slowly got out of the bath, shivering when the cool air kissed his soft skin, interrupted by a shirt being thrown at him.

"Ah!" The kid yelped but caught the white clean cloth and covered himself quickly while the captain eyed his small body.

"Put it on before you catch a cold." Levi commanded and, with a soft blush, Eren put on the shirt, looking absolutely adorable in its largeness.

The short captain eyed his prize before giving a small approving nod. It was amazing how beneath all the blood, bruises and mud, was hiding a strong young man.

He, then, took him out of the room, the kid's wet bare feet leaving marks on the stone floor.

* * *

 

Erwin ignored the curious glances he got from the crowds of people who wanted to know what was going on with the investigation of the Yeagers' murder case. The news about the cruel deed had spread throughout the nearby districts and people were naturally distressed, worried despite the guards attempts to calm them down. They had been well-respected family even if their kid was known to cause trouble all the time.

The sad thing was that murders weren't uncommon in the city and many bodies were never even found. In some cases, few rotten ones could be fished from the rivers every now and then. To the majority of the people, this was just another burglary with one missing kid and it didn't take much of an imagination to think what they'd want to do with Eren. He was a cute kid with innocent looks and bad temper, one that could prove amusing to anyone.

Erwin's expression was stoic and unreadable as one of the guard captains walked towards him, saluting. "Commander Smith, did your search in the woods result in anything?" The guard asked hopefully, but Erwin just shook his head.

"No, we didn't find any suspicious trails nor suspects." The commander of the Survey Corps replied simply, making the captain frustrated. People were getting more worried and agitated by the second. "Thank you for your time, commander. The help of the Survey Corps is greatly appreciated." The guard captain said before bowing slightly.

Mikasa, who was standing in the crowd with Armin and Hannes, seethed in anger.

"Are they going to give up on Eren?! How come even the Survey Corps haven't found anything?! We have a dead suspect lying in the morgue with stab marks on his body and still, no one has a single clue what is going on." She yelled angrily when the guards started to disperse, ignoring both her and Armin who was trying to get her to shut up. However, the girl's outburst did not go completely unnoticed. Erwin's blue eyes spotted Mikasa and he knew that the girl would be troublesome. He'd have to warn Levi.

The boy next to her looked sorrowful. "That's just natural, Mikasa. The only reason they even bothered to look for him was because Eren was Grisha's son, he was a well-known doctor. If they had been farmers, no one would even bat an eye. They just want to calm people in the district." Armin argued, making Mikasa hiss.

"That is a lie!" She said defiantly, but Armin's expression insisted that it was true. Mikasa wanted to cry when she felt Hannes' comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Orphaned kids in this city aren't worth much, Ackerman... I fear we have lost Eren." Hannes said, his voice filled with sadness.

Mikasa clenched her fists in anger. "He has to be alive... No one would go to these lengths to get Eren just to kill him! I can't believe they think this to be just a robbery. The people who did this to the Yeagers didn't take anything!" She continued, trying to tell one of the guards the facts only to be ignored.

Erwin turned his gaze from the three people in the crowd, addressing the guard captain again.

"Who is the third murdered person?" He asked the guard who sighed, checking some papers.

"We are looking into it. Might be someone from rural parts since no one in the district seems to know him."

"Get to it... Even if we don't find the Yeager child, perhaps the family can get some justice." Erwin said, starting to think of ways to get the body. Hange would soon get a new test subject.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi lets Eren finally rest, preparing him for the coming days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fourth chap! Thousand thanks again to Scinon who beta read this chapter and gave me some really nice ideas considering Eren and Levi.

 

Eren shivered as his protector led him back the way they came, heading towards the rooms on the upper floor. The large, empty building made the child feel nervous despite having Levi by his side. He could easily get lost in the dark but, thankfully, the pale moonlight was strong enough to shed some light throughout the corridors and rooms for them. In his hand, Levi held an oil lamp that gave them a bit of comforting light as well, although it also cast intimidating shadows over the walls and floor, making Eren's mind conjure images of the men that now were dead. He felt cold despite having the soft, white and a tad too large shirt to give comfort.

 

The idea of diving beneath warm blankets and getting some well-deserved sleep kept him going even though keeping his eyes open was becoming more and more troublesome by the minute... The bath had been thorough and Eren had never felt this clean in his life, physically at least.

  
"I still feel unclean." The boy thought before raising his hand to look it. It felt like there was still blood underneath his fingernails that he just couldn't get rid of. His family was gone and some sick, twisted person in the city had eyes for him, probably wanting to rape him andon top of that, he had taken a life. In his mind, Eren saw faceless shadows reaching out to touch and restrain him and it slowly became harder for him to breath. Wolves, the city was filled with them and they wouldn't stop easily.  


Levi made note of how his guest's expression had turned into that of terror and worry. Instead of immediately inquiring whether the child was alright, the captain relished the sight. Levi pressed his eyes shut and tried calm down, nothing could take Eren from him anymore. He had put the kid through a lot, yes, but he needed to endure the pain in order for Levi to claim his mind and body entirely.  


"How are you holding up?" The black-haired man finally asked quietly, not wanting his prize to be too abruptly interrupted.  


"I'm alright." Eren answered, trying to sound tough and calm but suddenly sneezed loudly, clearly freezing.  


Levi turned his head to look at the young boy, smirking ever so slightly, yet clearly amused.  


"Don't worry Eren, after a good night's rest, you'll feel as good as new." The captain replied as they returned to the room. Eren hesitated for a moment before stepping into the room. The wooden floor didn't have a single particle of dust on it, Levi had made sure that the place was spotless.  


The bed looked clean and soft, the mere sight of it making Eren yawn loudly and look all drowsy, rubbing his eyes gently. "Mmh... What's the time?" the dark haired boy asked, glancing through the window to see actually that it was getting brighter.  


"Early hours of the morning, but don't worry, you'll get to sleep as long as you like, Eren. You've endured a lot." Levi replied softly, in a manipulative tone, petting Eren's head lightly before gesturing towards the bed.  


Eren felt absolutely exhausted and the moment the commander pulled the heavy covers of the bed off, he climbed onto the soft mattress and lay down, enjoying the soft and comforting feeling. It only took a few seconds for the boy to feel like he was unable to get up and the young Yeager knew he probably wouldn't do so until noon. That was something his mother would never have allowed.  


Levi eyed his tired, little prize calmly, a hint of a smile forming on his lips that quickly died when he saw that Eren was still shivering.  


"I still feel cold." Eren whispered, curling up beneath the covers in order to feel warmer.  


"I'll light the fire place." the captain whispered, petting Eren's head before moving over to the fireplace nearby. The bright green eyes closely observed as Levi knelt down to place a few logs in the stone hearth before lighting a match and throwing in it. The resin-containing wood cracked loudly in the fire and once Levi was satisfied with its intensity, he secured it and turned around to see Eren's reaction only to notice the boy's eyes shut.  


Was he asleep already? Levi strolled over to Eren one more time and after a moment of hesitation, he placed his hand on the kid's forehead as if to check for a fever but in fact, he only wanted to touch him, to make sure he really was there. Levi let out a small sigh before turning to leave but stopped in his tracks when he felt Eren grab his arm in sudden desperation.  


"Don't go, please... I-I... don't go." Eren started, panicking slightly and looking embarrassed when he realized that he had taken hold of the captain's hand. "I don't want to be alone." He looked absolutely adorable to the grey-eyed man when a deep blush stained his cheeks. Levi knew exactly what Eren wanted. The child had witnessed so much that night. It was only natural that he'd want someone to comfort him, after all he was just a young boy, no matter how mature he looked.  


Levi seemed hesitant at first. "If you want me to." The raven-haired man murmured before sitting on the edge of the bed.  


"Please." Eren said, keeping his hold of the older man's wrist in a manner that begged him to stay. It was all the confirmation Levi needed.  


With a few swift moves, the dark-haired commander had removed his boots and gear so that he was only left in his pants and white shirt, not wanting Eren to feel uncomfortable.  


"Make some room then." The captain requested gently and Eren swiftly moved to the other side of the bed, making space for the older man who then rested his lean frame next to him. Levi gazed at Eren, his silver eyes gleaming. He pulled the younger male tightly against him, wrapping his arm around the shivering kid. The sudden move made the brunet gasp in surprise and tremble slightly.  


"Don't be afraid, Eren. I just don't want you to get sick." Levi comforted Eren, urging him to enjoy his body warmth and soon he felt soft hands press against his side, seeking more of it.  


"Thanks... It feels so nice." The emerald-eyed boy murmured before closing his eyes, pressing his forehead against Levi's chest while still in the captain's comforting embrace. To be honest, he wouldn't mind his little captive to get a small fever.  


They lay still for a moment and Levi waited for Eren to fall asleep. Soon enough, he heard the kid's soft breathing and one glance at Eren was enough for him to feel butterflies in his stomach. The hot-headed boy looked like an angel now, truly divine and peaceful. Without even noticing, the short yet muscular man tightened his hold on the kid, using his other hand to brush some straws of dark hair out of the kid's face.  


"Poor little Eren..." Levi muttered, rubbing the boy's arm with his fingers gently, carefully pulling the sleeping child to rest of top of him so that he could put his arms around him. The kid was sleeping like a log, and probably wouldn't wake up until late midday.  


"For such a bad-tempered child, you look like an angel when you sleep..." Levi muttered feeling Eren's soft hair with his hand. "You'll make a wonderful pet." Levi thought only to realize soon after that he had actually whispered it out loud but luckily, the sleeping boy had not heard him, making the black haired man smirk. "Even if I need to train you with a choking collar... that's the best way bad dogs learn to respect their masters." He continued, his voice thick with passion and malice, moving his fingers from the boy's hair to feel the nape of his neck, taking a firm hold of it. His breathing got slightly heavier as he thought how much power he actually had over Eren. He could easily snap his captive's neck right now if he wanted to.

 

The young Yeager had no means to fight him and had no place to run to. He was all he had and if the boy didn't behave, he could correct his manners all he wanted with no one daring to stop him.  


Eren felt so heavy on top of him and his scent was just lovely, making Levi relax. The lean captain caressed his little prisoner's back before closing his eyes as well; some sleep would do great for the both of them. He had all the time he needed to turn Eren into a loyal partner now. He wanted to be the child's whole world with Erwin and Hange being the only welcomed individuals.

* * *

Hannes made his way towards the morgue as fast as he could without being detected. He knew that something was up, something about this case just didn't seem right. Well, murder cases this cruel generally weren't right but this just seemed odd. Mikasa's words had kept haunting him. The job seemed too "well done" to be a mere burglary. Eren was an aggressive child and would defend his family to death. Whoever had attacked them had underestimated the kid no matter how professional they were. Somehow, in his gut, Hannes had a feeling he should make sure the corpse didn't go anywhere and, just in case, have a crude drawing of the face to show to people if need be.  


The few guards who were standing in front of the morgue looked at Hannes curiously, but let him into the room since they were aware that he had known the Yeagers for years. They avoided meeting his gaze and Hannes could tell that they really had no interest in looking into this case anymore. Better just let it be.  


Once inside the morgue, Hannes took a deep breath, staring at the 3 corpses that lay on wooden tables with linen cloth pulled over them.

"Carla, Grisha, I'm sorry." Hannes murmured his apologies to the deceased. "I'll find Eren, I promise." He swore before taking the cloth off the murderer. There were numerous stab wounds on his chest and he still couldn't believe that Eren had caused them. He had obviously used immense force.  


The blond guard took a piece of paper from his side pocket and a charcoal stick, starting to draw the man's face as a reference. When he was satisfied with the result of the rough drawing, Hannes pocketed it, quickly pulling the cloth over the man before heading back towards the door.  


To the guard's surprise, the heavy metal door opened and two people walked it, commander Erwin and someone with glasses and unruly hair in a ponytail. The pair stopped when they spotted Hannes in the room and Erwin looked surprised for few seconds before regaining his composure. The shorter person simply looked curious.  


"I saw you among the crowd with those two kids." Erwin said sharply, evaluating the man who stood before him and reeked of alcohol. "Now, what is a common guard doing in the morgue?" Erwin continued, demanding answers from the lower-ranking soldier.  


Hannes saluted Erwin. "I came to pay my final respects to the Yeagers. I was an acquaintance of the family like many others in this district." He excused himself quickly before glancing at the two corpses on the tables. Erwin eyed him for a good while and Hannes got this odd feeling, that he was judging how big of a threat he could be, before stepping aside.  


"I see, my condolences. Now, we have work to do here, my colleague wants to examine the body before we dispose of it." Erwin said coldly and Hannes nodded, leaving the two Survey Corp members alone in the room, the commander's icy-blue eyes following him. In the coming days Hannes would make sure to show the drawing to everyone until he got some answers.  


When the booze-reeking man was gone, the two closed the door, sealing themselves in with the three lifeless bodies. Erwin looked stoic, unreadable but Hange could see a trace of worry in his eyes, as if he was furiously going through different scenarios in his mind, trying to figure out all possible outcomes.

 

"Something wrong?" The person with glasses asked casually before walking over to the corpse of the man Eren had murdered, pulling the cloth off without any respect. The eccentric person blushed slightly in excitement when the deep wounds on the chest became visible, making Hange almost lose all control.  


"Haaah! Look at these, Erwin! So deep and precise... Eren is such an animal." Hange exclaimed cheerfully, intrigued by the deep wounds, feeling how deep they were without any respect for the corpse, but the lack of response from Erwin made Hange turn once more to face the commander.  


"Hey, Erwin, when can I cut him up? I don't want him to rot..." the titan researcher inquired, looking confused when as the blond started walking around the table, eyeing ground for some reason and reminding Hange of a hawk or an eagle.  


"As soon as we get the paper work done, they won't care where the body goes. " Erwin muttered. Most bodies were buried in the cemetery but at times they also got burned and no one would probably miss the murderer. Usually they were given a few days to find someone who could recognize the person but mistakes did happen and some times a body or two would be burnt a tad too early.  


"I really don't know what you see in cutting humans up, they aren't titans." Erwin muttered while searching, making Hange frown in frustration...  


"Titan bodies disappear but humans don't go anywhere and their look a bit like titan ones. They share some common senses like pain and... are you even listening?" Hange asked all frustrated when Erwin kept studying the stone floor, ignoring the researcher completely.

  
Hange's curiousness was piqued when the tall man finally knelt down and pressed his fingers against the ground to collect whatever residue he had found. He felt the dark substance that got stuck on his fingers.  


"What's that?" Hange asked with a somewhat bored expression.  


"Charcoal..." Erwin muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly.

* * *

Eren whimpered and grunted softly, trying to turn onto his side all the while the strong sun rays kept disturbing his sleep. He felt tired and drowsy, slowly waking up from his slumber to feel something warm and soft beneath him that didn't quite feel like the mattress.  


"Mmh..." he let out, rubbing his eyes to see that he was actually sleeping on top of the captain, the man's right arm around his body to keep him in place while the other was underneath his head. Levi was apparently still sleeping calmly and Eren tried not to move so as not to wake up the captain who had saved his life and wanted to protect him from the wolves of the city.  


The child glanced out of the nearby window and though he couldn't be sure, it might have been around midday. He still felt tired but the sleep had really helped his body and mind recover. The few moments of solace during which he didn't remember the loss of his parents quickly faded and the pain returned once more. His emerald eyes got slightly foggier but he was done with crying. He needed to be strong, just like Levi had said.  


Eren pressed his head against Levi's chest, listening to his heartbeat that was slow and calm, making the kid relax again. The man was alive and well, reassuring him that things would eventually be okay. He'd get his revenge on the men who had taken his family away. No wolf would remain in the city, he'd make sure of it and he'd make sure that no one would dare hurt Armin or Mikasa.  


"Hey, you awake?" Levi asked gently, making the boy startled.  


"Yeah... How long have you..."  


"Not long, didn't want to disturb your sleep." Levi whispered gently, running his fingers along Eren's neck in a soothing manner.  


"Take your time, we've got the whole day ahead of us." Levi purred, waiting for Erwin's and Hange's report.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwing explains Levi the situation and the captain comes up with a plan to cut Eren's ties to his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, a bit shorter and slower chapter for a change. Things will ramp up again in the next chapter, I promise :) Levi needs to work with Eren a bit to get his trust. big thanks to Scinon again for beta reading this and giving me pointers.

Eren yawned softly and rubbed his eyes as the two men made their way towards the stairs. The old wooden floor creaked slightly beneath their feet and it felt cold to Eren who was only wearing pants and the over sized shirt. The sun had been up for a good while and the kid's stomach was now growling with hunger.

 _'How long has it been since I last ate.'_  The young boy wondered, so weak and ill that he felt like he could collapse any moment.

The cup of coffee had barely helped him and to be honest, he had been too tired and exhausted to even notice his hunger last night. However, now that he was well-rested and had gotten over the initial shock, his body was reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything for a good while.

An image of his mother preparing breakfast for him and his father flashed in his mind, making Eren look down at his feet with sorrowful eyes. He would never eat food made by his mother again. The kid soon realized that the captain was giving him a sideways glance, making him lift his gaze back up so that he didn't look pitiful.

"Sorry, I should have given you something to eat last night." The silver-eyed man murmured fondlyly, feeling Eren's hair gently with his hand, letting his fingers rake through the soft locks, showing the innocent boy that he was safe with him, that there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.

"It's okay, I didn't really feel hungry last night anyway." Eren muttered, yawning once more softly.

Levi watched affectionately the child that lied beside him.

"But I should have been more considerate, you must be feeling quite weak right now." Levi pointed out, enjoying how sickly the younger male looked. He'd take care of him, of cours.

After sleeping the night, even the captain's mind was clearer now. He realized that he had almost full control over Eren. He could make him suffer and then cater for him again if he wanted to. Warmth, comfort, hunger, sleep, social interactions... Those all were his to control. Though, while he controlled Eren physically, he wanted to have a firm grip of the kid's psyche as well. Body and soul as they said, he'd own both of those.

Levi felt his heart skip a beat when he felt Eren nearly trip when they reached the stairs. With lightning-fast reflexes, the captain quickly grabbed the kid's shirt to prevent him from falling on his face.

"Careful, you idiot... I didn't save you just to have you snap your neck." Levi muttered rather angrily and with scolding tone.

Eren felt ashamed and somewhat disgusted with himself. The captain's words were a bit harsh and the Yeager immediately felt a small dent in his self-worth.

When he saw the kid's pained look and blush, Levi knew he was making some effort. He knew Eren was a strong willed kid. His work with the younger male would have to be careful. The key was to slowly erode Eren's independence, and before he knew it, the younger male would find himself unwilling to leave his side and would grow completely dependent on him. He'd have his loyalty.

Eren could feel his mouth water when they finally made it down the stairs. A heavenly scent of fried eggs, meat and fresh bread reached him and led the two towards the kitchen where they saw Hange by at the stove, cooking eggs while humming some random tune, clearly oblivious to the door opening.

"Morning Hange." Levi greeted the person with glasses and messy hair who quickly looked over their shoulder and nodded.

"Captain." The researcher replied, turning to Eren who was clearly still shy around the enthusiastic stranger he had known only briefly. The child looked confused but not as much as he looked hungry. "You two took your time... Understandable though." Hange continued before putting the eggs from the pan onto a plate with some meat and bread.

"Wait a second, Eren. I know you must be hungry."Said person said gently as they poured a glass of milk for the green-eyed boy and placed the glass onto a wooden tray along with the plate.

"Take a seat." Levi suggested, but it sounded like a command to Eren which he obeyed with a small nod, without questioning. He was too hungry to care about the captain's tone.

The researcher patted Eren's head gently as if he was a pet, before placing the set in front of the boy who grabbed his fork quickly.

Although a bit odd, Hange's gesture felt comforting to Eren and he thanked the researcher for preparing the food for him.

"Dig in, kid." Hange murmured gently before pushing up the glasses slightly, turning to Levi who leaned against the wall, watching Eren quietly and the researcher quietly.

"Erwin should be here shortly... I need to take care of some things now. Don't wait for me." Hange muttered before smiling brightly, leaving the two men alone in the room with a small casual wave.

Levi watched out of the window while Eren ate. The eccentric researcher headed for the wooden storage houses and barns near the edge of the dense forest, disappearing inside one and closing the door as if to hide something.

Levi sighed, half expecting guards to appear from the woods to storm them, but the forest was almost eerily quiet. No one knew they were in the abandoned headquarters of the Survey Corps. This place would suit their needs for now, but naturally, he couldn't keep Eren prisoner there forever.

Once he had the child's unquestioned loyalty and trust, it would be safe to take him out back into the city. Eventually, he'd let him join his side in the Survey Corps and who knew how far they'd go in life.

All Hange wanted was to study humans and titans.

Erwin, he wished for power and authority as well as to protect mankind, willing to do anything to ensure that.

The captain, on the other hand, did as he pleased. In Eren, he saw a chance to have a pet, companion and perhaps a lover eventually. It was strange how he was so different from the cattle of the city. He had the same will as the rest of them.

"Hey... What are you thinking?" Eren suddenly asked, dragging Levi from the depths of his dark thoughts. He turned his gaze to the child who was munching on a piece of bread.

"Just what our next step should be. Erwin was in the city last night to see if there were any leads." Levi said, hardly lying.

His commander was indeed looking for leads, not to follow, but to erase. Nothing would link them to the man Eren had murdered, had it not been part of the plan and posed a risk. They'd have to move quickly to reduce the risk of someone recognizing the dead man. Levi had found the men from a rural area so that no one in the city would know them.

"I see..." Eren whispered quietly, clearly thinking of something, but chose not to say it out loud. Levi's grey eyes remained fixed on Eren for a moment before turning his attention to the windowonce more to see Erwin return from the forest in his full gear.

"Speak of the devil..." The hawk-eyed man muttered and Eren, too, noticed the blond commander walk across the yard. Levi stared at his commander through the window and both of their expressions were unreadable.

Soon enough the door opened once more and Erwin walked into the room, greeting Eren and Levi.

"Good morning, Levi... Eren." The tall man said and Eren, who was in middle of eating a piece of bread felt embarrassed, placing the delicious, freshly baked good on the plate to greet the commander.

"Please, do continue eating, Yeager. You must be starving, but I need to talk with Levi for a moment outside." Erwin said, gesturing for the captain of the corps to follow him.

"I'll be back shortly, Eren." The captain said reassuringly and was satisfied to see his prisoner's look of worry at the thought of being left alone.

"I promise." the captain added.

* * *

Erwin led Levi outside into the yard and further away so that they came to the large warehouses near the edge of the forest so that Eren would surely not hear them. The kid must have been too hungry and tired to sneak up on them. And besides, he seemed to already trust Levi. The short man was clearly a master of manipulation.

Levi walked over to the wooden bench next to the tall barn-like building that had a locked door. However, they could hear soft hacking sound coming from the inside, like metal cutting into flesh and then hitting the wood, but they chose to ignore it.

"So, what did you find, Erwin?" Levi asked , looking at his commander calmly. "I assume you took care of the body." The captain added, glancing at the locked door and Erwin nodded. "Well, is anyone in the garrison examining this matter more closely?"

Erwin looked stoic. "Just Eren's friend and... one guard named Hannes. Apparently he was a friend of the Yeagers." The blond man replied in a detached manner, clearly going through possible scenarios in his head.

Levi's expression did not change, but Erwin knew that he was worried and harboring dark thoughts towards the guard.

"No one will naturally listen to the kids but the guard might turn out to be a problem. He is looking into the murders." The tall man said and Levi's grey eyes got a murderous look in them.

"I see. We should take care of him." The captain said calmly but Erwin shook his head slightly.

"It isn't that simple. No one thinks much about the murder of the family with one of the attackers dead, but if a guard who is looking into the matter dies...then we will have a bigger problem." Erwin explained, knowing very well that his friend knew that too.

"Will he be a problem?" Levi asked in a neutral tone.

Erwin sighed. "We already disposed of the body with some misleading paper work. The garrison will be blamed but... the guard apparently made a sketch of the man Eren killed. That could be problematic if someone recognizes him and links him to the two other men."

Levi nodded. "They could find the cabin and the other bodies, but I don't think they can get anywhere from there." The captain muttered, making Erwin nod.

"I trust you won't do anything to the guard before we can make sure it is safe." Erwin asked the shorter man whose grey eyes flashed dangerously as he thought of something.  
"Actually, he might serve a purpose for now." The dark-haired captain muttered to Erwin who couldn't help but ask what he had in mind.

"The world can be a hard place if everyone is turned against you. Especially if it is someone you are supposed to trust." Levi explained to Erwin.

"I see, you are cutting Eren's remaining ties to those close to him." Erwin thought out loud and the shorter man nodded.

"When he finds that he can't trust anyone, even those closest to him, he will have no other option but to put all of his faith and trust in us, Erwin. If I erase all the competition, he can only choose me." Levi murmured with a calm and collected look on his face and for a moment, Erwin thought that he was dealing with some sort of demon.

"I'm going to discuss a few things with Eren now. I need more information on his friends and the guard." Erwin stated and the agile short man nodded.

"Fine, but keep it short." Levi replied and got up, walking back inside with Erwin.

"Just know, Erwin, that I will kill the man if he gets in my way." The shorter man said with a worringly calm and collected look in his eyes.

"Of course." Erwin muttered, knowing that he couldn't control his friend.

* * *

Eren sighed, all satisfied and full. The emotional pain hadn't faded a bit, but physically he felt quite good now. He was well rested, his hunger was gone and he finally had a chance to think of what was happening around him.

It still felt like a bad dream. To think that there were people out there who were willing to go to these lengths. If it wasn't for Levi, he'd certainly be dead or worse. And now, he was in the middle of the woods, hidden away by the captain and Commander Erwin. To be honest, he had no idea whether he was inside Wall Rose or Maria, but he bet on the latter.

He missed Mikasa and Armin so much and feared for their safety... Hannes' too. He needed to see them as soon as possible and surely Captain Levi would let him see his friends again. They had to be safe, Eren was sure of it. He had said that it was too dangerous for him to return to the city for now, but surely the commander had found out something.

He'd kill all the wolves in the city with the help of Levi and the rest.

Eren shifted slightly in discomfort when the two men returned into the room. Erwin towered over him and his stoic and cold expression made the young boy feel uncomfortable. Levi's expression was just as cold and unreadable, but he knew that the raven-haired man wanted to protect him. Asdor Erwin, he wasn't so sure.

"Eren, I need to ask you few questions." The charming commander stated, not really asking whether Eren wanted to answer them. The tall man pulled a chair and sat down opposite to Eren.

"Okay." The young boy replied and glanced at Levi who merely stared at him.

"I'm sure Levi told you already that I was in the city looking for leads on this case." Smith started calmly "Unfortunately with Levi being forced to kill the other two men, we currently don't have any leads as to who could have hired them to take you and kill your parents, Eren." The blond man continued, making the young boy drop his gaze in sorrow and disappointment.

"The garrison was asked to look into the identities of the men. The Survey Corps took the bodies to the morgue late last night." Erwin lied, knowing that by now wolves were probably eating them and with the last corpse in Hange's good hands, they were surely safe.

"I understand." Eren muttered, not wanting to think of the men who had gotten what they deserved. This was bad though. With all of them dead, it would be harder for the guards and military police to identify them and find who had hired them. He'd still be in danger in the city if nothing was figured out.

 _'I'm trapped here now... everywhere is dangerous._ ' Eren thought and immediately started to worry about his friends.

Erwin crossed his hands and leaned closer.

"Eren... I know this might sound odd, but you need to tell me about a guard named Hannes. He was close to your family, right?" the blond man asked, making Eren's eyes widen slightly.

"Why..?" He asked, fearing that something bad had happened to the booze hound. Hannes wasn't a very dutiful guard, but he was still a friend, important to him.

"It is vital to the investigation, Eren. What is he like?" Erwin pressed on, not wanting to say anything since he knew that Levi wanted to spin his web around Eren even tighter.

The young boy hesitated "Well, he is a bit lazy and somewhat of a drinker... doesn't take his job too seriously." The emerald-eyed kid told Erwin who made a few notes.

"I see, thank you Eren, we are going to keep tabs on him, that's all." The commander reassured when the shorter man shifted impatiently and clearly not wanting them to talk of the guard any longer.

Eren's mind was racing and he felt something grasp his throat uncomfortably.

"What about my friends, Mikasa and Armin? Are they safe?" The boy asked unsurely, making Erwin glance at Levi who nodded after a brief moment of consideration.

"They are. And as far as we know, no one has made any attempts of hurting your friends. But that could change." The commander said, hinting that for now, Mikasa and Armin weren't in danger. "The garrison in the district is watching over your friends' families for now. I assure you, nothing will happen to them. You are our priority, Eren. And theirs too." Erwin assured the boy.

Levi walked over to them and rested his hand on the table, staring directly into Eren's wide green eyes.

"Eren... The garrison doesn't have resources to look into this for long, which means that the people who wanted you will probably remain free for a long time." The dark-haired soldier stated. "Which means that for now, you will have to stay here. It is simply too dangerous for you to return to the city for now." He added calmly.

"Understand?" He asked and got a small nod in response.

"I don't like it but, I understand." The brunet boy replied. "Can... can you at least tell my friends that I'm okay?"  
Levi and Erwin shared glances and both knew the answer.

"We can't promise anything, but we'll see what we can do." Erwin stated before getting up. "Levi, I trust you'll take care of Eren. I have work to do in the city. Hange will stay here for the time being." With that, the blond man left them.

Eren watched in confusion as Levi sat down where Erwin had been only moments ago. For a moment, the older man eyed the green eyed boy before saying in a gentle, almost comforting tone.

"Eren... We need to discuss about that guard, Hannes."

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yey, more Levi and Eren interaction in this chapter like promised :) A bit of Mikasa and Armin too. Scinon beta read this :) thousand thanks again.

"That's a lie!" The young boy yelled angrily as he quickly got up, pushing the chair away from the large, wooden table quite forcefully as he stared into the adult man's emotionless eyes that were fixated on him, studying his reaction.

"I refuse to believe that!" Eren added, eyes burning defiantly, refusing to accept such horrible accusations made against Hannes.

"Whether you like it or not, it doesn't change the facts. It's what our informants have told us. Whether it is absolutely true or not, still remains to be seen." The captain replied calmly, arms crossed lazily over his chest as he studied his captive. He loved those bright, green eyes so much, he almost wanted to gouge them out.

After Erwin had left, Levi spun his web of lies around Eren even tighter, telling him the "truth" the commander had spared him from.

The kid's mind was clearly racing, he could see it in his eyes. Those emerald-green eyes were wide with shock. filled with fear and disbelief, but also passion and vindictiveness directed at those who had dirtied Hannes' name. He didn't blame or judge the boy for acting this way, he had possibly taken yet another important person from him. Perhaps Eren wouldn't believe him at first, but the seed of doubt had been planted and with enough care it would bloom.

"Then your information is wrong! I've known Hannes all my life and he'd never sell out my family. That is just not possible!" Eren raged, slamming his fists on the table, making the plates and a few glasses rattle and clink loudly, but Levi merely stared at him with a calm expression before walking around the table, heading towards Eren who looked slightly alarmed.

"That's how people are, Eren. These animals have power and wealth, more than any simple guard could ever hope to obtain." He explained to the boy who stared at him in disbelief. "Every man has their price. They chose someone close to you with weak will and bribed him, thus allowing the men to kill your family with ease. It doesn't take much to turn someone like your friend against those they care about."

He stopped in front of the young boy who looked like he was about to burst. "Someone like your friend" was added, clearly aimed at Hannes' occasional trouble with alcohol.

"We, humans, are even worse than titans. We gladly eat each other to get ahead of others." Levi said calmly, wanting to destroy whatever trust Eren had in those close to him. Soon, he wouldn't be able to trust anyone else but him.

Yeager clenched his fists angrily, his mind going through countless different scenarios. He refused to believe that Hannes could have done this to him, but... If it were true, he'd have to ensure the safety of Armin and Mikasa. He had to see them right away and question Hannes about this, no matter how dangerous it would be.

"I need to see Armin and Mikasa! Captain, please, take me to the city and after that we can all get to safety." Eren started hopefully, but Levi's eyes only narrowed significantly.

The aura around the dark haired captain seemed to change but Eren, who was so filled with anger, didn't notice how the captain's agile body tensed, mind filling with dark thoughts and eyes showing malicious intent.

"You can't leave this place." The captain whispered, staring at the boy with an almost dead look in his cold, steel-grey eyes. He had waited so long for Eren to be his. He wasn't going to let the boy slip through his fingers. 'You can not leave, me. I won't allow it.' Levi thought.

When Eren heard Levi's answer, his green eyes got filled with fire and defiance and he quickly turned around, ready to run for the door. He'd walk back to the city if he had to!

Before he had managed to take a single step, the young boy felt Levi's hand on his arm, pulling it into a vice-like grip that hurt like hell. The brunet gasped in shock, feeling the captain's fingers dig into his flesh with that crushing hold. He was sure his bones were going to break.

"Nngh..." Eren whined as Levi forced him to turn around, holding his arm up, eyes empty and expression dead serious.

"I said that you aren't going anywhere." Levi almost growled, feeling the boy's bones through his thin flesh. A thought of twisting the kid's arm hard enough to break it, crossed his mind.

"There is too much at stake to let them have a chance to get you. We have never had a better chance to catch these animals than we do now. I need you to stay here in order for me to protect you." Levi explained calmly, keeping his hold on the boy no matter how much he struggled.

"I don't give a damn what happens to me! Mikasa and Armin could be in danger and I need to clean Hannes' name! Now let go of me! I'm not going to stay here any longer. And if you aren't going to help me, I'm going to kill them myself if they come after me!" Eren yelled angrily, trying with all his might to win against Levi.

Eren barely saw the fast movement that preceded with a loud slapping sound that echoed softly throughout the room, the sheer strength of the strike causing the kid's head to turn to the side.

Levi had waited for an outburst like this and, with calm and collected thoughts, he had moved swiftly, striking Eren across the face with the back of his hand without holding back.

Eren looked shocked. His bright green eyes widened in horror and he raised his free hand to feel the side of his head which seemed to pound and throb with pain. In addition to that, he tasted iron in his mouth. His anger and hate were gone in an instant.

Levi stared Eren's shocked face with satisfaction, the strike succesfully silencing and calming him down.

 _'He hit me.'_ Eren thought in shock, thinking how Levi had told him how he'd protect him from harm. Sure, his father had disciplined him few times after he had done something really bad, but he had never been hit by an adult like this. It hurt so much and when Eren felt something trickle down his chin and lips, he wiped the area with his hand to see that he was bleeding. The side of his mouth had been cut and bruised.

The boy that was still recovering from the shock, looked up at Levi with obvious fear now, and the adult man towered over him despite being quite short. But before he knew it, Levi struck him again with one sweeping kick that knocked Eren down, the adult man instantly pinning him against the wooden floor. Eren gasped when he felt his whole body ache and found himself staring up at the short, black-haired man whose behavior had changed so drastically.

 _'Is he going to kill me?_ ' Eren thought, before his instinct to survive and fight kicked in. "Get off me!" The young kid yelled angrily, trying to wiggle away and push the trained soldier away but Levi kept him down with mere body weight.

Levi enjoyed the feeling of having his prey struggle against him for a bit before placing his quite soft hand over the child's bleeding mouth, not caring that he was touching the dark red liquid.

"Oi... Be quiet." Levi hissed, voice void of any emotion.

Eren's struggles slowly died down as he took a good look at the adult man. He seemed like a different person and the change scared him. It was Levi's eyes that disturbed him the most. They were filled with anger, hate, obsession and... for some reason love.

"Did that calm you down?" Levi asked in a neutral and dangerously low tone, his gaze shifting for a moment to his hand; some of the blood had smeared on his skin and fingers. It was a thrilling and invigorating sight, making Levi take few deep breaths before calming down and focusing once more on Eren who now lay beneath him in utter shock. Oh, he liked that look quite a lot. He'd keep him safe, but if needed, he was willing to hurt the boy in order to keep him in check.

There was a basement, a dungeon, in this compound but he'd use that as a last resort.

"Eren, don't think this is just about you, your family or friends. These people have done this for who knows how long. You are just one of many, and if you put this investigation in danger, you will doom countless of others to experience the same fate you have." Levi whispered to the boy, leaning down so that their faces almost touched. With a small dark smile on his lips, Levi whispered against Eren's ear.

"I know you want to protect your friends, but I can't have you destroy the lives of others." The black-haired captain slowly moved his hand off Eren's mouth to feel the boy's bruised cheek gently.

"And if necessary, I will lock you up and throw away the key." Levi continued before his expression turned slightly more gentle, almost dreamy.

"You understand that, don't you?" He asked from his captive who merely stared at him with fearful eyes, unable to move a single muscle.

"Eren, are we clear? You can't leave this place, not now... not before I say it is okay." Levi repeated himself, pulling a long and slim knife holstered on his belt, showing it to the boy. "You do understand you will most likely die if you leave this place, right? Those wolves will tear you apart and break you."

Eren felt like he was going to cry and did everything to fight the tears. The physical pain was so bad and the taste of blood made him ill. The whole scale of the situation was almost too much for him to bear. Sure, he was clever, tough, and almost adult-like, but still, he was just a child. The sight of the sharp blade in the captain's hand only enforced what he had said.

If he left, this would happen to him again, but instead of the captain, he'd have some monster of top of him, tearing him apart piece by piece.

"Do you want to cause the death of your friends, Eren? Because they will be hurt if you go back." Levi continued, wanting to scare and hurt Eren with words which were obviously true. If Eren tried to leave him for his friends, he'd make sure they all would regret it.

 _'I'm selfish, not thinking of others...'_  Eren thought before shaking his head slightly. Hurting his friends was the last thing he wanted to do.

"We agree then?" Levi whispered his question against Eren's ear and the child could feel the man's hot breath against his skin.

"Yes, I understand." The young boy finally answered, making the dark haired captain smile at him once more calmly and pleasantly.

"Good. Now, let's not talk about this again. Once this is over and I give you permission, you can return home." Levi said calmly, caressing Eren's bruised cheek and lips gently, smearing the blood on his fingers before standing up, towering over the boy who struggled up from the floor.

 _'Filthy...'_ Levi thought, eyes lidded in an almost dreamy look, knowing that he'd never allow the kid leave him.

Eren's eyes slightly lost their shine as he thought about returning to an empty home. There would be no one waiting for him. He'd never feel Carla's arms around him again or his father's hand on his forehead to feel if he had a fever. He had a house, but it would be an empty one and if his friends' families weren't willing to help him, his future seemed bleak and hopeless.

He had heard stories about young teenagers and kids selling their services to make ends meet and the idea of having to lower himself to that after being saved from it made Eren feel anxious and terrified. He wasn't even exactly sure what it involved.

Yeager suddenly felt Levi's hands on his chin lifting his head up so that he had to look into the captain's sharp eyes.

"Eren, I promise you. I will protect you from the wolves, no matter what, even if I have to kill all those who come for you." Levi whispered to Eren with a dark look in his grey eyes, not really meaning the wolves, but those who'd try to take his prey from him.

"Promise?" Eren asked, wanting for someone to be by his side now that his family was dead.

Sure, Levi had hit him and his behavior scared him, but it was all for his own good, right? He had been so impulsive again.

"Promise."

* * *

Mikasa kicked a stone angrily as she walked through the streets with Armin who tried to calm her down the best he could. Some of the merchants looked slightly startled by the two angry kids, fearing that they'd be trouble. The two had searched and talked to people in many different districts, trying to find some information on the man Eren had killed.

"How can no one seem to know anything about this man?" Mikasa asked from Armin, showing the picture to him that Hannes had copied for them to show around. They had showed it to countless people by now in all districts of the city but no one seemed to know who this man was and in addition to that, the garrison had messed up and the body had been disposed right away. It was a bizarre case and Hannes suspected foul play, but there was no evidence. According to the blond guard, from the evidence he had, it looked like a new recruit had stamped the wrong papers and because of that, there had been some mix up with the bodies.

Mikasa certainly was convinced that someone was doing their best to conceal all evidence.

 _'I'm going to find you, Eren.'_ she thought, dark eyes burning with determination to get her friend and love back. Eren was a good boy and her parents would certainly take him in.

Mikasa wanted to crush the paper in her hand. She hated to admit it, but she was slowly losing all hope in finding who were the men that had taken Eren, though, he probably had been taken to the person that wanted him in the first place by now.

 _'Don't think about it Mikasa, just don't.'_  she told herself, trying not to bring the images of Eren being tortured by some shadowy person who had watched him for Heavens know how long. For some reason, time after time she thought of that man they had met at the market place, the shorty with dark hair and the way he had interacted with Eren. But, surely a member of the Survey Corps wouldn't do anything to a child.

Few days had passed already and the two had spent every available moment looking into the crime. It seemed as if Hannes too had taken hold of himself by cutting down on drinking and fixing his behavior. Eren's kidnapping had touched them all, the district too, but those who weren't close to the family quickly forgot the tragedy due to their own problems and sorrows.

"This is hopeless." Armin thought out loud, making Mikasa look at him angrily. The boy's blue eyes reflected only hopelessness and fear that he'd never see Eren again.

"Don't give up! Eren would never do that if one of us was taken." Mikasa hissed as the two headed one more time to the market stands, showing the picture to the merchants from near the edges of wall Maria that was rural region.

One merchant after another just shook their heads, telling them that they had never seen the man until one man took a long and good look at the picture.

"I've seen this man... He is not from our village though. He lived with some men near the forest. They weren't nice, not at all.." The man thoughtfully replied, not quite understanding why the kids' expressions brightened up.

"Please, do you have a name or anything!?" Mikasa asked all excited and the man looked thoughtful. "I don't know them but I can point you into a direction where someone might know it." The merchant said and before long, the two were hurrying back the Shiganshina district to tell Hannes what they had found.

* * *

Eren winced slightly in pain when Levi wiped his bleeding lip with a piece of cloth with disinfectant. It stung, but it was nothing compared to the pain he had felt moments earlier. His cheek and jaw still throbbed with pain and even an idiot could see that he was probably going to get a nasty bruise on his cheek.

 _'He acts like nothing happened.'_ Yeager thought, slightly disturbed by the man's behavior. Eren felt something gripping his heart and throat as he sat on the bed with Levi on the edge with an open wooden box resting on the covers that was filled with medical equipment. The young child gripped his knees slightly as the captain worked on his injury. It reminded him of how his father had helped him after fighting with some boys, scolding him for being so hot-headed only to pat his head once the work was done, telling him that he was strong. It felt strange having the captain help and treat his wound that he himself had caused for a good reason. Instead of a fatherly pat on the head, he had gotten a painful strike.

 _'He is part of the Military, he probably is used to hard discipline and used it out of habit.'_ Eren thought, trying to justify Levi's actions and explain his violent behavior. The man had vowed to protect him and had comforted and taken care of him during these few days. He wanted to trust him more than anything. One thing was clear though; he wasn't going to leave this place.

 _'What happens when this is over? I... I'll have to return to an empty home with no one there to wait for me.'_ Eren thought, his green eyes getting a sad and depressed hint to them. The younger male didn't notice the dark and slightly obsessive look in Levi's dark grey eyes as he cleaned the wound, feeling the bruise he had created with his fingers.

"What is on your mind?" The man inquired, wanting to know what made the child look so wonderfully devastated. The boy took hold of his arm and gazed into Levi's eyes

"I... I just... thought of home and how neither my mother or father are there, anymore." Levi couldn't fight the small smile.

"Sounds like you don't have anywhere to return to." The captain replied, enjoying Eren's scared and panicked look.

 _'You don't have to worry about anything anymore, Eren...'_ Levi thought, wanting to tell the young boy that he'd take care of him and that he wouldn't have to hurt again, but it wasn't the right time yet.

"That's not true! I'm sure my friends can lend me a hand 'til I'm old enough to join the Army." The dark haired boy started but Levi could see the hesitation in his eyes. The kid didn't even believe his own words. He'd end up on the streets, trying to survive in the harsh environment. It almost felt tempting to let that happen so that he'd be able to take Eren to safety, so that he'd be grateful towards him. Like taking a stray dog and giving it a home.

"Don't kid yourself, Eren. The Ackermans have a hard time already; surviving with just three of them, and do you think the Arlerts can take care of you? That boy lives alone with his grandfather..." Levi noted quite poisonously, not wanting Eren to think he had anyone else he could turn to. All hope Eren had in his eyes seemed to fade away and Levi was quick to pull the child into a warm embrace.

"It's okay, Eren. When this is over, and if there is nothing for you, I'll take care of you.. Such a pitiable thing." The captain comforted the green-eyed boy who found the embrace to actually be comforting, even if he had moments ago been scared of the man. _'I will make sure you'll be okay, Eren. You don't have to worry about a single thing anymore."_ Levi thought as he held Eren against his lean and toned body, only to pat the kid's head when he pulled away, quickly finishing his work and put the box with the medical equipment away.

"We'll think about it when the time comes, Eren. Now, you need to focus on the threat and be strong. I'll teach you how to protect yourself." He said as he placed the box onto the night-table, only to run his finger across the surface and gather a small layer of dust. Eren blinked in confusion when the man's expression turned sour.

"Though, I will first have to teach you how to clean properly." Levi sighed.


End file.
